Argo (Film) Review

Tense, exciting, and often darkly comic, Argo recreates a historical event with vivid attention to detail and finely wrought characters.

Based on true events, Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis-the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA "exfiltration" specialist named Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies. -- (C) Warner Bros.

Peter Bradshaw (Guardian [UK]) said:"Part of what makes this headspinning story believable is the fact that it pans out in an oddly uncomplicated way."Tom Huddleston (Time Out) said:"For 100 minutes, 'Argo' is close to flawless."Claudia Puig (USA Today) said:"Fusing suspense and humor in a political thriller is a tricky prospect, but Argo is more than up to the task."Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) said:"Ben Affleck doesn't merely direct Argo, he directs the hell out of it, nailing the quickening pace, the wayward humor, the nerve-frying suspense. There's no doubt he's crafted one of the best movies of the year."Andrew O'Hehir (Salon.com) said:"With America's tormented relationship with Iran back on the global front burner, "Argo" is also a crafty, reflective mood piece that will leave you thinking about the resounding echoes of that tormented and not-so-distant era."Kenneth Turan (Los Angeles Times) said:"Affleck easily orchestrates this complex film with 120 speaking parts as it moves from inside-the-Beltway espionage thriller to inside Hollywood dark comedy to gripping international hostage drama, all without missing a step."Manohla Dargis (New York Times) said:"In the end, this is a story about outwitting rather than killing the enemy, making it a homage to actual intelligence and an example of the same."Karina Longworth (Village Voice) said:"It's an embodiment of the kind of quality adult film that really shouldn't be an endangered species, and a love letter from Affleck to the industry that made him, shunned him, and loves nothing more than to be loved."Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) said:"Both spellbinding and surprisingly funny."Anthony Lane (New Yorker) said:"Clever, taut, and restrained."

Other film Reviews

Dates in History

WWI Spring Offensive - The Kaiser's Battle

21st March 1918

At 9.30am on 21st March 1918, the last great battle of the First World War commenced when three German armies struck a massive blow against the weak divisions of the British Third and Fifth Armies. It was the first day of what the Germans called the Kaiserschlacht ('the Kaiser's Battle'), the series of attacks that were intended to break the deadlock on the Western Front, knock the British Army out of the war, and finally bring victory to Germany. In the event the actual cost of the gamble was so heavy that once the assault faltered, it remained for the Allies to push the exhausted German armies back and the War was at last over.

Further Reading

At 9.30am on 21 March 1918, the last great battle of the First World War commenced when three German armies struck a massive blow against the weak divisions of the British Third and Fifth Armies. It was the first day of what the Germans called the Kaiserschlacht (‘the Kaiser’s Battle’),… Read more at Pen & Sword...